Chapter 1106: Touching the Demon

Chapter 1106: Touching the Demon

How is there Demon Qi emanating from here?

This left Qin Shili extremely perplexed; in a place like Xuanyun Sect, where cultivation is the norm, there shouldn’t be any Demon Qi floating around.

Moreover, all the respected masters constantly warned against coming into contact with the Demon Path, so the presence of demons simply cannot be tolerated.

Yet now, such a thing actually exists, which is quite astonishing.

What could happen inside, she hadn’t a clue.

She felt anxious and hesitant, struggling internally; although worried about what might be inside, she actually wanted to go in.

In the past, she was rather decisive when making decisions, without hesitation. But now, she lingered at the door, wavering.

“What’s wrong? Still worried I might trick you?” Master Cong continued to grin.

“No, I’m just preparing a bit.”

Qin Shili took a deep breath and stepped forward again.

“Good, I’m sure you won’t regret this trip.”

Master Cong chuckled, stroking his long beard, and led Qin Shili inside. The torches were lit, casting some light, but it was still quite dim inside.

As Qin Shili went deeper, her heartbeat quickened involuntarily.

She was a bit nervous, lacking her usual calm demeanor.

If what Master Cong said was true, then it would definitely make her anxious; after all, she’d be facing the contemptible Demon Power.

Of course, she hoped that upon encountering it, she’d immediately abandon this line of thought and seek a new meaning in life.

“Are we there yet?” Qin Shili asked.

“We’re here, just up ahead.”

What lay before Qin Shili was an unknown black spiritual ore, floating atop an enigmatic basin.

She still hadn’t seen Master Zhao; it was just her and the chubby Master Cong in the room.

“Since we’ve arrived, why haven’t we seen the Master yet?” Qin Shili inquired.

“The Master is behind that. Once you finish your contact, you’ll naturally meet him.”

“Senior, from what I understand, you previously mentioned that the destination is where the Master can be found, but I’ve yet to see him. You keep saying he’s here, yet he doesn’t come over. Could you explain?”

Qin Shili questioned Master Cong, but he remained calm and unhurried.

“If you don’t believe me, you can leave right now. You cannot set foot here again, and your thoughts can only be resolved by yourself. After you go out, you must keep this confidential. It’s just a pity; since you’ve come all this way, you now want to leave. Once you touch it, you will certainly grow to detest it, and that thought will vanish. As for the Master, opening this place requires some spells to maintain; how could he enter?”

Master Cong went on, smiling as he spoke, hitting on Qin Shili’s sore points.

At this point, Qin Shili was reluctant to leave.

It was a rare opportunity to witness the demon-related phenomena within Tianling Mountain, and if she were shut out, she feared returning to her previous state of unease.

Shall I give it a try?

That floating stone was radiating waves of Demon Qi; she had no idea where it came from, and Master Cong kept it a secret from her.

“Apologies, Senior, I got a bit carried away. What should I do now?” Qin Shili adjusted her emotions and asked calmly.

“Just place your hand on it. You can experience how Demon Path techniques feel. Soon enough, you’ll grow to detest it,” Master Cong replied.

“Okay.”

Nodding, Qin Shili followed Master Cong’s instructions, gently raising her hand to rest on the stone. Initially, the Demon Qi was quite weak, but then it suddenly surged strongly.

She didn’t sense much of the Demon Path technique—just the overwhelming presence of Demon Qi.

“Senior, I’m not sensing how the Demon Path techniques work.”

“Close your eyes, calm your mind, and you’ll soon feel it. You can even try using one or two basic techniques.”

“Then why is this Demon Qi becoming stronger?”

“That’s normal; it changes according to your mindset. If you’re interested in the Demon Path, it will intensify. When you feel revulsion towards it, it will naturally dissipate. Don’t worry, everything will be fine.”

Master Cong chuckled, while Qin Shili reluctantly decided to follow his advice, closing her eyes to meditate like one would during cultivation.

After a long time, she still didn’t grasp any Demon Path techniques; she merely felt the Demon Qi coiling around her body.

Something feels off.

Qin Shili opened her eyes again, only to find Master Cong had vanished.

“Senior, where are you?”

She called out, but received no response.

Did he leave?

She questioned again, but the result was the same—utter silence.

Indeed, something was off.

Qin Shili quickly withdrew her hand from the stone, channeling her energy to disperse the Demon Qi enveloping her body, but it was futile; nothing happened.

Why can’t I disperse it?

She tried again; logically, it shouldn’t be an issue, yet the outcome remained unchanged—nothing dispersed.

The door behind her had reopened; she needed to get out and not approach that stone again.

Qin Shili swiftly turned around and headed out. When she returned to the Ru Yue Hall, she encountered disciples who were in the midst of cleaning.

The disciples sensed an overwhelming surge of Demon Qi and thought a demon had appeared, prompting them to draw their swords and prepare for battle.

They then recognized it was Qin Shili.

“Qin Shijie? What are you doing here? Wait, why is there Demon Qi surrounding you?”

“This isn’t our Shijie! Tell me, who are you?!”

They all raised their swords against Qin Shili. Qin Shili shouted coldly:

“I am Qin Shili! I have business with the Master, step aside!”

“Bold demon! Even in the guise of our Shijie, you cannot mask the Demon Qi. You shall not pass!”

The disciples were furious; this demon took on the form of the Shijie they admired—how could they tolerate it? They charged at her, swords drawn, ready to rid themselves of the demon.

Qin Shili didn’t want to harm them and planned to use ice magic to freeze their feet instead.

However, the Demon Qi interfered with her spellcasting, causing her ice magic to surge uncontrollably and freeze the entire Ru Yue Hall.

“What…?”

She attempted to release the spell, but it was in vain; she could not undo it.

Not knowing what to do, she concluded that she needed to find the Master; he must have a solution.

However, her ice magic was spiraling out of control, expanding from the Ru Yue Hall and letting the Demon Qi bleed out, filling the area.

Lin Nuo, hiding at the side, quickly retreated. Thankfully, he had experience; otherwise, he would’ve turned into an ice statue.

Things have gone awry.

That fat guy really is up to no good.

Hmm? Isn’t that the fat guy?

Lin Nuo noticed Master Cong emerging, a sinister smile plastered on his face.

Meanwhile, due to Qin Shili’s uncontrolled ice magic, nearby disciples took notice and rushed over, stunned by the scene before them.

Qin Shili had actually frozen the Ru Yue Hall and was exuding Demon Qi.

Touching the demon is a great taboo for cultivators, and here she was using spiritual techniques against her own peers.

“This ice magic is by Qin Shijie; how could she…?”

“Never mind the details; contacting demons is a grave error. We must stop her!”

The disciples raised their swords, ready to prevent Qin Shili.

Lin Nuo observed from the sidelines, the scene resembling his past when he was encircled by his own peers.

Since the situation was dire, it was no longer a problem to stop pretending to be a coward.